Early Steps on a Long Road

[ShadowSilk]

You're very welcome, Doc!  After all, as the great bard Spider Robinson noted, "Shared pain is lessened.  Shared joy is increased.  Thus do we refute entropy."

(Sorry, just finished the Callahan Chronicals and I'm quoting that everywhere.)

[DrMobius]

So my 40th birthday did arrive as scheduled yesterday. That was the big goal when I started here and I have officially achieved that goal. There is a noticible change in my appearance from when I started just over 2 months ago and I'm down 30lbs. I'm in the process of starting to make some new goals for the new 6 week challenge which will be starting soon. My bday also came with an absolutely epic case of food poisoning which I shall not soon forget. :/  My goal is to workout later today if I'm feeling up to it and not to beat myself up if I don't and to pick back up tomorrow.  On the whole though except for the actual physical feeling bit I'm feeling pretty good about the start of decade number 4.  I even took a selfie on my birthday (prior to the crispy carnitas of doom hullabaloo) which I may actually work up the nerve ot post at some point.

[ShadowSilk]

BOOOO FOOD POISONING SUCKS.

 

Happy birthday!  May you get everything you wished for but one, so you always have something to strive towards.

 

I second the "not beating yourself up" thing. 

 

About the selfie -- post it when YOU'RE READY TO.  I'm nowhere NEAR ready to put a picture of myself up here, even minus 20 pounds.  Big ol' NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE.
So take your time on that if you need to. 

[DrMobius]

Though this food poisoning has kicked the living crap out of me I have noticed a marked shift in my thinking about my overall health and fitness which has been refreshing. Every time I've tried to do a workout plan before any time that I wasn't able to do it felt like a "hooky day" to me . That made it very easy to fall off the wagon and fall back into old habits. This time around, though, the fact that I've been sick and unable to work out since Friday has actually been annoying the hell out of me. I'm going to try to resume my workouts tonight or tomorrow depending on how I'm feeling (still incredibly sore and queasy :/) and I'm posting about it here to make sure that I do.

I checked my food log, however, and was somewhat heartened. Tomorrow will be Day 80 of eating healthier and according to those around me it's starting to show. The fact that I haven't wavered on my diet actually makes me feel good. It helps me remind myself that I got sick and didn't just give up on my fitness goals. I tend to be someone who is easily frustrated by things like this and end up getting mad at myself which is really not terribly helpful. I think I'm weathering this particular life curveball better than I usually do so that's something I suppose.

[DrMobius]

And I did work out tonight!

[Mr_Willes]

Though this food poisoning has kicked the living crap out of me I have noticed a marked shift in my thinking about my overall health and fitness which has been refreshing. Every time I've tried to do a workout plan before any time that I wasn't able to do it felt like a "hooky day" to me . That made it very easy to fall off the wagon and fall back into old habits. This time around, though, the fact that I've been sick and unable to work out since Friday has actually been annoying the hell out of me. 

 

That's a great feeling! I had the same feeling a couple of months ago. I realized i was trying to manipulate my schedule in such a way i could just add another workout in the gym. Had me realizing this and thought: "WTF where did mister Couchpotatoe go!"

 

Great keep it going!

[DrMobius]

I thought I'd post here instead of my challenge log because I haven't updated my regular battle log in a bit and I didn't want to fall out of the habit. A week in the 6 week challenge is going ok. Tonight, however, I'm planning to try to mix up my workout routine a bit. I haven't hit a plateau per se but it's starting to feel a little same-ey and that tends to grate on me after awhile. I've also been reading that it's good to change things up from time to time to keep your muscles from getting complacent. I've got a book on bodyweight exercises and I've been checking out a few websites as well. I think I'm going to increasing my reps on the exercises that have gotten easy and see if I can't add one or two other bodyweight exercises as well. I'm sort of limited for space so I'll need to be creative. I'm also thinking I might try to do my pushups from the floor rather than inclined like I've been doing since I discovered doing those. Inclined are a bit easier for someone of my size and as a result that allowed me to use better form. Tonight I think I'll see if it's paid off and if I can actually start doing them from the floor. I'll let people know tomorrow.

While I do use a dumbbell for some of my exercises I have to say that I've discovered that I actually really enjoy the bodyweight stuff. I've tried gyms a few times in the past and I'm really just not not a gym sort of person. I don't like the crowds, I despise having mirrors everywhere and my tolerance for meatheads has not grown with age. I like that I can do a bodyweight workout quickly and in the privacy of my own room (though I may need to venture to my building's basement or the like if I add too much to the routine). If anyone has any suggestions for ways to tweak a bodyweight routine or any bodyweight or single dumbbell exercises that could be added to my workouts I'd be most appreciative.

[ShadowSilk]

I thought I'd post here instead of my challenge log because I haven't updated my regular battle log in a bit and I didn't want to fall out of the habit. A week in the 6 week challenge is going ok. Tonight, however, I'm planning to try to mix up my workout routine a bit. I haven't hit a plateau per se but it's starting to feel a little same-ey and that tends to grate on me after awhile. I've also been reading that it's good to change things up from time to time to keep your muscles from getting complacent. I've got a book on bodyweight exercises and I've been checking out a few websites as well. I think I'm going to increasing my reps on the exercises that have gotten easy and see if I can't add one or two other bodyweight exercises as well. I'm sort of limited for space so I'll need to be creative. I'm also thinking I might try to do my pushups from the floor rather than inclined like I've been doing since I discovered doing those. Inclined are a bit easier for someone of my size and as a result that allowed me to use better form. Tonight I think I'll see if it's paid off and if I can actually start doing them from the floor. I'll let people know tomorrow.

While I do use a dumbbell for some of my exercises I have to say that I've discovered that I actually really enjoy the bodyweight stuff. I've tried gyms a few times in the past and I'm really just not not a gym sort of person. I don't like the crowds, I despise having mirrors everywhere and my tolerance for meatheads has not grown with age. I like that I can do a bodyweight workout quickly and in the privacy of my own room (though I may need to venture to my building's basement or the like if I add too much to the routine). If anyone has any suggestions for ways to tweak a bodyweight routine or any bodyweight or single dumbbell exercises that could be added to my workouts I'd be most appreciative.

 

I'm doing these -- http://neilarey.com/workouts.html

 

There's a huge variety, and 99 percent of them are bodyweight.  I think there are three or four using dumbbells.

 

(Also, imagining I'm Catwoman/Black Canary/Lara Croft is fun.)

 

It sounds like you're doing great, Doc!  Glad you posted!

[Mr_Willes]

Good you checked in!

 

Allthough there are a few excercises with kettlebells i use the following routine:

 

Burpees (5)

Sit ups (10)

Kettlebell deadlifts (8) 

Kettlebell standing rows (10)

Mountainclimbers (10)

Leg raises (10)

Squats (10)

Pushups (4)

Lunges (8)

Kettlebell standing row (10)

 

So i do these in this order for the amount that's behind them and then repeat the cycle. Monday was the last time, i did 13 cycles in 31:50 and was completely beat (renamed this program to "HomeWorkout from Hell"). By the time i can do 15 cycles and have the last cycle start before 30:00 i up the reps on some of the excercises (next will be burpees and pushups).

 

Hope you get some inspiration (although these are really well known and simple excercises). 

[DrMobius]

It's official. This is the first time I've been below 350lbs in over 10 years! I was initially disappointed that I'd only lost 8 lbs since my last weigh in but then I checked the date and realized that it had only been 3 weeks since my last weight check and not the 6-8 weeks that usually pass in between them so then I felt considerably better. Now I'm trying to hammer out my goals for the next 6 week challenge.

[ShadowSilk]

Excellent. 

[DrMobius]

Thank you. Not sure why your comment about my avatar was in the email notification I received but not the post itself but thank you for that as well. I got a yen to reread the series again recently so I had Sandman on the brain and it was time for a new userpic anyway. The Mobius pic was obvious and the one that Destruction has replaced was Dr. Malocchio from The Awesomes.

[ShadowSilk]

I wasn't positive, after looking again at the pic, that it was Destruction, so I edited my post.  I didn't remember Destruction being in period dress -- it's been a long time since I revisited the series as well.

Have you read the prequels that came out last year?

[DrMobius]

The brown frock coat and the ponytail is pretty much how he appeared on the few times he cropped up in the series after meeting with Dream and Delerium in Brief Lives. I have read the prequels and am dying for him to finish Overture. I'm digging your new Baroness motif!

[ShadowSilk]

The brown frock coat and the ponytail is pretty much how he appeared on the few times he cropped up in the series after meeting with Dream and Delerium in Brief Lives. I have read the prequels and am dying for him to finish Overture I'm digging your new Baroness motif!

 

Why thank you, Darrrrling. 

 

(Transcribing that bad Eastern European accent is HARD.  I can actually do it, have been since I was a kid.)

[ShadowSilk]

The brown frock coat and the ponytail is pretty much how he appeared on the few times he cropped up in the series after meeting with Dream and Delerium in Brief Lives. I have read the prequels and am dying for him to finish Overture. I'm digging your new Baroness motif!

 

 

Oh, are you following my new challenge?  It's "Becoming The Baroness."

Obviously, there are going to be multiple parts.  Because one cannot become Anastasia de Cobray in just one challenge.

Yeah, I'm even trying for the "cultured" part.  Speaking of which, got any classic literature you can recommend? 

Classical music or jazz?  So I'm not just mindlessly clicking on things on Spotify? 

(Though I'm going Charlie Parker on the jazz.  I've heard you can't go wrong with The Bird.)

[DrMobius]

Charlie Parker is good. I'm not a huge jazz fan but I know a bit. Charles Mingus is quite good and everyone should experience Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra at some point in their lives (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Ra). As for literature, that's one of those incredibly broad topics. What sorts of things do you usually like to read?

[ShadowSilk]

Charlie Parker is good. I'm not a huge jazz fan but I know a bit. Charles Mingus is quite good and everyone should experience Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra at some point in their lives (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Ra). As for literature, that's one of those incredibly broad topics. What sorts of things do you usually like to read?

 

YAY YOU TOOK ME SERIOUSLY

 

I will have to check out Sun Ra.  That wiki, man.

 

What do I like.....

 

Gaiman, Lewis, Tolkien, Austen, Bronte, Poe, Doyle.....Lovecraft's okay, but a little purple for my usual style.  Let's put it this way, my favorite Lovecraft story is "Cool Air" and my second favorite is "The Strange Case of Charles Dexter Ward."

I read The Silmarillion more easily than I read most Lovecraft, and it took me six times to understand it.  No, I'm not kidding.  The Silmarillion is heavy.

So's The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, but I read that at 14 easier than I do most Lovecraft.  About the only thing I can really compare it to is The Gulag Archipelago.  

THAT is hard going. 

My anamacara says I should try out Camille by Alexandre Dumas Fils, and someone else recommended....The Good Soldier, I think.

I like histories.  And biographies.

 

Looking for classics.  Stuff that I definitely should read for all of that horizon expanding.  Stepping away from the comfort zone.

[DrMobius]

While I am a Lovecraft fan I'll also be the first person to admit that my love of his work probably stems more from my being a shrink than from him being a great writer. I think Lovecraft was working out a great number of personal demons in his work and likely skirted the shores of psychosis more closely than most. His writing style is not the easiest to get into.

As for literature, I'm a big fan of Hermann Hesse. "The Glass Bead Game" and "Steppenwolf" are both favorites. He's most acclaimed for "Siddhartha" but I, personally, found that one a little tedious. James Joyce is good if you can deal with his weird stream of consciousness wordplay. Unfortunately I'm at work at the moment and can't delve into my library but I'll keep thinking about it and make more suggestions as they come to me.

[ShadowSilk]

So are you doing a challenge this time around, or....?

 

Also, if you haven't read it, highly recommend Transmetropolitan.  I've only read the first three graphic novels (I really need to pick the rest of them up) and The House of Mystery reboot they did a couple of years ago.  Again, I only read the first three, but sooooooo good. 

 

Locke & Key are good (Joe Hill is da bomb, reminds me of his dad's early work) but a little dark for me....there are kids involved, and I am unfortunately not as thick skinned as I used to be when it comes to kids mucking about with dangerous supernatural shit.  (When the zombie apocalypse happens, it will be a child zombie that kills me, or me trying to save a kid.)

 

AMERICAN VAMPIRE is beyond the beyond the beyond the pale, it's soo good and the art is fantastic.

 

I should like the Watchmen, everyone tells me I would, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

[DrMobius]

I am doing a challenge. It's on the Assassin's page called First Challenge in Black but I have yet to link it to my signature yet because I'm a slacker. I love Transmetropilitan. It's one of those rare series that stayed good from beginning to end. Locke and Key and American Vampire I haven't checked out yet. Thanks for the suggestions!

[DrMobius]

Woke up insanely early this morning and couldn't get back to sleep due to an assortment of random life stressors going on at the moment. Eventually I ended up conceding the fight with sleep and decided to get my workout out of the way early today. While I don't know that I'll convert to early morning workouts exclusively, I do have to admit that it really did get a lot of the stress and anxiety out and I'm considerably more focused today than I normally am at this hour (he said updating his battle log instead of working).

Note to self though: if you work out in the morning you will have extra energy and therefore, even on little sleep, a second cup of coffee will, in fact, make you vibrate through walls like The Flash.

[DrMobius]

I haven't been particularly good about updating these for a while which is fairly normal for me and I almost never post big things like this in a public forum but I trust this group and there is some overlap with the things that I do actually post about here.

I found out yesterday that my Uncle Brian just passed away. He suffered a massive heart attack in his home and was pronounced dead on arrival when EMS arrived. While I was fond of my uncle we weren't particularly close. There was no animosity we just didn't talk much. I think what's making this affect me so strongly is the fact that he was only 7 years older than I am. He was always heavy but I'm fairly certain that I was heavier than he was at my biggest. I was on blood pressure medication until a few months ago when my doctor took me off of it because my heart was sounding much better. (In general my PCP is doing backflips about the amount of weight I've lost) I rarely have those "it could have been me" moments. Being alive is a temporary state of affairs and there's little point in pretending otherwise. This has me genuinely rattled though. Over the past 6 months I've gotten healthier than I've been in YEARS. I still have a long way to go I know and I'm hardly perfect at this but I've still lost over 70 lbs in the past 6 months. (I haven't had a chance to weigh myself after this challenge yet so I don't have the specific amount) My health and appearance were the biggest reasons I started doing this but I honestly couldn't specifically pinpoint the exact reason I suddenly got the motivation to make the changes in my life that I've been making. I really couldn't. Something just clicked and I started researching and then I found this place. I'm not even sure where I'm going with this i just needed to vent. I know that this doesn't guarantee me good health for the rest of my life or anything but I'm definitely moving in a healthier direction. I also know that if my uncle had experienced a similar epiphany it would not have guaranteed that he would still be alive today. While it's not survivor's guilt I'm experiencing per se, a part of me can't help but wonder if it might have helped him if he had.

I'm not sure why I felt the need to post this but it did feel good to get some of it out. As I mentioned on my challenge log, I still need to update my stats and post the results of this challenge but I might not get to it this week and I wanted to let people know why. Thanks for reading.

[DrMobius]

Working on my goals for this newest 6 week challenge. Running a bit behind due to having to leave town for several days to attend a funeral. I should have things up tomorrow or Friday.